People group profile · PG011914
The Bedouin Arabs of Saudi Arabia
The Bedouin Arabs of Saudi Arabia, numbering about 1,440,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an Arabic-speaking tribal people of the Middle East and North Africa, historically organized around pastoralism, seasonal mobility, and patrilineal kinship. Tribal identity and pastoral heritage remain important cultural markers.
They are an indigenous people in the Bedouin, Arabian people cluster of the Arab Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Najdi Arabic.
Fast facts
- Country
- Saudi Arabia
- Population
- 1,440,000
- Affinity group
- Northern African and Middle Eastern Peoples
- People cluster
- Bedouin, Arabian
- Primary language
- Najdi Arabic (ars)
- Primary religion
- Sunni Islam
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- No Known Evangelicals
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- Western Asia, Asia
- Location
- Widespread, especially interior areas; includes Al Hudud ash Shamaliyah, Al Jawf, Al Qasim, and Ha’il provinces; Al Madinah al Munawwarah province: Ta’if area and east; Ash Sharqiyah province north; Ar Riyad province: all but southeast; ’Asir and Najran
Where they live
Gospel status
The Bedouin Arabs are Engaged yet Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, but there are sustained efforts to establish self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.
- Congregations exist No
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Bedouin Arabs
- Continue prayer and fasting for this group
- Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
- Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people
Primary religion
Sunni Islam · Islam
99% adherents
Primary language
Najdi Arabic · Afro-Asiatic family
100% speak Najdi Arabic
Gospel resources in Najdi Arabic
- Bible available, published 2013
- JESUS Film not available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings not available
- Audio resources not available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- The Savior (Arabic, Najdi)
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Bedouin Arabs
- Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
- Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
- 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
- Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
Arab, Bedouin in other countries
The same people (ROP3 101193) is reported in 3 other countries.
| People group | Country | Population | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabs | Iraq | 2,000,000 | Unengaged and Unreached |
| Saudi Arabs | Syria | 1,495,000 | Unengaged and Unreached |
| Bedouin Arabs | Jordan | 1,370,000 | Unengaged and Unreached |
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